The shinning
The shinning credits:
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Written by: Stephen King and Stanley Kubrick
Cast:
Jack Nicholson (Jack Torrance)
Shelley Duvall (Wendy Torrance)
Danny Lloyd (Danny Torrance)
Release date: 1980
Spoiler alert: some crucial elements of the movie are commented in the following review. Be warned!
My bloody rating:
The shinning movie review:
With movies like "A Clockwork Orange", "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "Full Metal Jacket", it's hard to argue that Stanley Kubrick was not a great director!
Of course, he was also responsible for "Killer's Kiss" and "Eyes Wide Shut"! They are not so bad compare to any other movies out there, but they might not be compared to the titles described above either!
In "Shinning", Stanley Kubrick is once again proving that he was a very talented and dedicated director! Sure his obsession for getting the perfect scene was probably annoying for most actors, but remember that CGI was not available back then!
The plot of the movie is simple: A writer named Jack, his wife and his son are becoming the caretakers of a remote isolated hotel during winter. For Jack, this is the perfect occasion to get lost of inspiration and some fresh air!
However, when the son and the father are having visions from the past and the future, things get ugly and members from this family are now at the mercy of the insane father!
There are many memorable scenes in this movie. Whether it's the twins girls wondering in the hotel, the father using an axe to get the job done (Here's Johnnyyyyy!) or the elevator loaded with blood, you won't get bored watching this one!
It is a movie that focuses on the characters (so don't expect action sequences or stuff like that). The pace is also a little bit low, but it doesn't really matter! The insanity of Nicholson's character mixed with some shocking scenes is more than enough to create a perfect film!
Some scenes are quite bloody, but nothing too extreme compared to some of the bloodiest movies from this new century! The terror and the tension are well-depicted onscreen, making this movie a fine psychological thriller!
There is no doubt that this movie is a masterpiece in part because of Nicholson's performance! He is nasty, crazy, insane and terrifying! The kind of neighbor you don't really want to have!
The rest of the cast is also doing a good job (although I don't feel like Duvall's performance was exceptional) and the scenario is also based on a novel from Stephen King (which normally is a good thing, but not always!).
The perfect movie if you are looking for terror, suspense, and blood, all mixed with a drop of insanity and weird phenomenon!
The shinning movie review written by: Martin Berube
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